Mounting Unrest in Bahrain: The use of restrictive laws and measures leads to increased unrest.
The “community partnership” campaign is a dangerous plan to transform recent clashes between riot police and civilians into clashes between groups within society itself.
1 May 2007
The Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) is extremely concerned about an initiative by the Ministry of Interior described as the “Community Partnership” program.
Mounting Unrest in Bahrain: The use of restrictive laws and measures leads to increased unrest.
The “community partnership” campaign is a dangerous plan to transform recent clashes between riot police and civilians into clashes between groups within society itself.
1 May 2007
The Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) is extremely concerned about an initiative by the Ministry of Interior described as the “Community Partnership” program.
The BCHR also fears the Interior Ministry’s escalating media campaign is intended to pave the way and set up justifications for further action against political and human rights activists who insist on highlighting the aforementioned issues, which the authority considers to be instigation of protests and unrest.
The so-called “partnership” between the security services and ordinary members of society appears to be a new technique by which to support the harsh security measures used by special security forces.
Background:
Harsh and violent measures are regularly employed by security forces against inhabitants of poor and neglected areas in Bahrain. They are used in attempts to suppress groups of young people who increasingly react with anger and despair at excessive police violence against them, poverty, corruption, political sectarianism, political naturalization and public land theft.
During the past three years the BCHR and other local and international human rights organizations have raised their concerns about the Bahraini authorities’ moves to re-introduce laws and measures that restrict public liberties and prevent freedom of association and freedom of assembly.
The BCHR has also called for a resolution to socio-economic problems such as inadequate housing, unemployment, poverty, and sectarian discrimination. It has also asked the authorities to investigate the attacks against activists in human rights groups.
BCHR has called for an investigation into leaked government documents alleging a government policy of sectarian exclusion. It has warned that a hard-line ‘security policy’ and the use of excessive force, arbitrary arrest and unfair trials will lead to the proliferation of a clandestine and non-peaceful response.
The authorities failed to respond to these calls, and thus Bahrain is witnessing the spread of growing unrest – the Minister of the Interior has said that 70 incidences of rioting took place in the last month.
The authorities have failed to bring about ‘security’ or an end to unrest, in spite of a series of repressive laws such as the 2006 law on processions and gathering and the use of excessive violence and force against participants in peaceful protests (particularly human rights defenders and members of people’s committees).
They continue to carry out a growing number of arbitrary arrests of those accused of participating in riots (particularly those accused of burning tires and garbage containers), file charges without presenting of evidence, use collective punishment against villages and areas in which protests have taken place.
Physical abuse of civilians during the dispersal of demonstrators and when under arrest, arrests and prolonged detention, unfair trials and lengthy sentences in accordance with articles related to state security in the 1976 Penal Code have all become regular practice.
The restrictive laws and oppressive policies detailed above have not only led to further deterioration of stability in the country, but also turned peaceful protests into riots and clashes.
Introducing the “Community-Partnership” program:
Following the failure of these stringent laws and an iron fist policy to impose security and control over protests, as well as the continued occurrence of riots, it appears that the authorities have decided to use the press and members of society for assistance in implementing these policies under what is now being called the “community partnership”.
The partnership here is not a reconciliation plan, nor does it aim towards building bridges between protesting civilians and security forces .
The intended partnership will be between the government’s security apparatus, (which will continue its repression and iron-fist policies) and individuals and groups within Bahraini society who are allied with the authorities against voices of protest, and groups which are against government policies.
The Bahrain Center for Human Rights fears that the implementation of the so-called Community Partnership would transform the already tense relationship between Bahrain’s disadvantaged and the authorities into divisions among the community itself.
This could lead to clashes within the society itself in the future. Furthermore, the aforesaid plan is unlikely to lead to a cessation of protest against the authorities’ policies because of the continuing sources of tension and unrest related to the violation of economic, social and political rights.
The BCHR condemns any acts that endanger the safety of individuals or their property. We condemn the use excessive force by security personnel against protesters, and the use of force to disperse peaceful gatherings under the pretext of lack of permission from the authorities. We condemn the use of collective punishment, and arbitrary and random arrests.
The Center calls for an initiative of a true partnership between the authorities and community, based on an equal dialogue that addresses the reform of Bahrain’s political, economic and social rights situation, and works to cease corruption and sectarian discrimination.
The BCHR also urges the Press and groups within society to avoid becoming entangled or implicated in these disputes and clashes with each other which have been set up by the authorities. This will only exacerbate the situation, and may lead to a lot of damage and a further decline in stability.
The Center also calls on the authorities to allow the exercise of public freedoms, such as speech, the press, association and assembly in a peaceful manner and to reform laws and procedures which are contrary to human rights standards.
We ask for an honest and impartial investigation into allegations of excessive political naturalization, land theft, corruption and the raised in the report leaked by former adviser to the government Dr. Salah Albander.